Current estimated time of arrival (“ETA”) information is only an approximation of when the aircraft will land on the runway. However, there may be multiple reasons for individuals to desire to know the estimated time of arrival to a gate (ETAG). This ETA is a more accurate depiction of the actual time of arrival of the passengers. For example, an aircraft may arrive on the runway at a particular time, but be unable to pull up to an airport gate until much later, due to certain airport conditions (i.e., small airport and not enough gates to accommodate all arriving flights, etc.). This may create problems for passengers in terms of missed connecting flights, pre-planned travel itineraries, travel arrangements from the airport, etc. The ETA of aircrafts to the airport gate will allow individuals to choose connecting flights accordingly and provide a more accurate time frame making travel arrangements from the airport.
The ETA to an airport gate may also be useful for airports and airlines. The ETA may allow airports to optimize gate and ramp management and improve efficiency. It may also allow airlines to provide accurate information to their passengers for greater consumer satisfaction. These are only a few examples of the usefulness of ETA to arrival gates and there are many other reasons why such information may need to be known to individuals, agencies, airlines, etc.